A Life Full Of Questions
by Farm-Mom
Summary: This is the sequel to "The Meeting". You should read it first to figure out who this young lady is.
1. Chapter 1

A Life Full of Questions – Chapter 1

Tressie had been traveling for weeks and still couldn't believe what she heard. Well, it was overheard while she was eavesdropping; but no matter, she still heard it. And, she intended to get to the bottom of it.

She had borrowed a traveling dress from her older sister, Alyssa's wardrobe. Alyssa, at 18, had much more mature-looking dresses than Tressie did and Tressie wanted to look older than her 16 years – well, she'd be 16 next month, but that didn't matter either. She'd heard stories about women who traveled west alone and wanted to avoid looking too young or innocent.

She'd traveled as far as she could by train and then had to travel by stagecoach the rest of the way to Tucson. She didn't admire the scenery or the horses she was passing as her mind was on other, more important, things. Her father had been keeping a big secret and she was going to find out more about it. The best way to find out about it was to go to the source and ask. It was obvious Father wasn't going to answer her questions. He'd only chastised her for eavesdropping and warned her that he'd not put up with snooping. That meant it was up to her to find the answers.

Tressie wished she'd borrowed a thinner dress for traveling as it was getting very hot in her velvet suit with its jacket and heavy hat. The blue color brought out the blue in her eyes and didn't cause her light brown hair to appear mousy. She could feel water running down her back and face. How in the world do people stay cool out here, she wondered. She pulled a pocket watch from her pouch and looked at the time. At the last stop, the driver told her they would be in Tucson in about two hours and that was nearly two hours ago. She couldn't wait to get to a hotel and have a bath. One of the things her father told Tressie and her sisters about Tucson was that it's very primitive, so she brought her favorite scented soap and a few other toiletries she was afraid they would not have here.

Soon, the coach started slowing down and Tressie could see buildings and people on board sidewalks. Some of them appeared to be waiting on the stagecoach and others went on about their business. The young couple who'd been traveling with her the past couple days waved at an older gentleman as the coach came to a stop. They stepped off first and the woman hugged the older gentleman and Tressie could hear her address him as 'Papa'. She suddenly felt a little homesick. Here she was in a strange town and didn't know a soul. She had a big house and a family back in Boston who were probably worried about her. She left a note, but didn't tell them where she was going. Father would probably figure out where she went, but she planned to satisfy her curiosity before he had a chance to get there.

Tressie got off the stage and asked the driver for the location of the hotel. He pointed to the corner and handed her the two bags she brought with her. As she started toward the sign that said 'Hotel', she noticed that she was being watched by the people on the streets. She supposed they didn't get many strangers in Tucson, or maybe they just don't get lady strangers traveling alone. Stepping up onto the first step of the hotel, she nearly tripped. It had been a long day and she was tired. She thought the next thing she'd do right after her bath is sleep. Eating didn't even appeal much to her right now, so she figured she could hold out until breakfast. She felt the coolness as soon as she opened the hotel door and marveled at how a building could stay so cool inside when the outside was like an oven.

The short, balding man at the counter smiled and welcomed her to the hotel. He adjusted his spectacles and asked her how long she'd be staying. Tressie wasn't sure how to answer since she really hadn't thought about it. Of course, she'd stay until she got what she came for, but how long that might take would be anyone's guess. "Well, I'm not exactly sure how long I will be staying. Is that a problem?"

The man said, "Why no, it won't be any problem to put you up as long as you are in town. I'm Edwin Tillery. Please sign the register and I'll get someone to take your bags to room 4." Mr Tillery motioned to a young skinny boy by the door. The boy came to the desk and picked up Tressie's bags. Tressie took the key from Mr Tillery and followed the boy to room 4.

Tressie unlocked the door, stepped into the room, and held the door open for the bellboy to put the bags inside the room. She pulled a coin from her purse and handed it to the young man. He smiled and said, "Thank you Miss. If you need anything else, my name is Chester." Tressie noticed what a nice smile he had and smiled back. "Thank you, Chester. May I ask you a question?"

Chester nodded so she went on. "Do you know the Cannon family who own a ranch near here?"

Chester nodded again. "Yes ma'am. Everybody knows them. They own the High Chaparral."

Tressie then asked, "How would a person go about contacting them….without riding out there?"

Chester frowned. "Well, you could just wait till somebody comes to town. That's usually about once a week. Or, you could pay somebody to ride out and tell them you want to see them. Or, you could hire a rig and go out there. You might want to hire a driver and shotgun rider in case there's trouble."

Tressie was surprised at that last bit of information and she leaned in closer to Chester. "What kind of trouble?"

Chester liked having Tressie's attention. He seldom got much attention at home, with being the eldest and having ten siblings, soon to be eleven. He took the job at the hotel to help support them. He would be 18 soon and hoped to find a girl and get married, but at the rate he was going, he would be supporting his siblings for a while. His father just couldn't seem to hold onto a job. "Apaches, comancheros, bandits. That sort of thing."

Tressie stood back up to her full five feet, three inches; and walked to the washstand. "Oh. Where would I find someone who could take a message to Billy Cannon?"

Chester looked puzzled. "You mean Blue?"

"Oh, yes, I suppose I do. Where would I find this person who can get him a message?" Tressie could wait, but she wasn't sure she wanted to. She really needed to speak with Billy before her father arrived. He'd make her go back home and she still wouldn't know anything.

"I saw Manolito a little while ago when I stepped outside to clean the windows. He usually stays a day or two. He would probably deliver your message."

This made Tressie very happy. The sooner she could speak with Billy, the better. "Where would I find him?"

Chester grinned. "At the saloon. He's always there, unless he's at Perlita's. I saw Perlita headed out of town with her husband, Carlos; so I know most Mano ain't with her."

"Fine. Can you point out the saloon to me? I must speak with him soon."

"Uh, Ma'am, you better hadn't go in the saloon. The only ladies in there are…well, you jest shouldn't go in there."

Tressie was getting frustrated. "Well, fine. Then, how do I see this gentleman without going to the saloon?"

Chester saw his chance to earn another coin. "I could go get him for ya'."

"That would be very nice of you, Chester. Can you go get him while I freshen up?"

Chester agreed and left immediately. Tressie turned to her bags to find another dress. The one she was still wearing was soaking wet with the sweat that had been pouring off of her for several hours. She quickly removed the garment, wiped off the sweat, and put on a much lighter dress. She was just finished dressing when Chester knocked on the door.

Tressie opened the door and greeted Chester, handing him another coin that appeared to make him very happy. He gestured to the man beside him and said, "This is Manolito Montoya. He works at the High Chaparral and could get a message to Blue for ya'. Mano, this is Tressie Daniels. She's the lady that needs to see Blue. Ma'am, I have to get back downstairs now." With that, Chester left again.

Tressie's attention turned to the tall and dark-featured man left standing in her door. He was smiling at her in a way that made her uncertain she should be talking to him in a hotel hallway, let alone at the door to her room. She didn't feel threatened, just…well, Tressie didn't have enough experience with relationships to know exactly what she was feeling exactly. She smiled at the man and noticed that he had deep dimples on his cheeks. His clothing was unlike anything she'd ever seen except in the books her father illustrated. He wore pants with a stripe down the outside of each leg and a short jacket. It dawned on her that she'd seen this man in one of her father's sketches.

"Miss Daniels, what may I do for you?" The man spoke with a spanish accent, but his English was perfect.

"I must get a message to Billy Cannon that I need to see him right away. Can you have him meet me here as soon as possible?"

The man frowned. "Ah, this I cannot do. You see, Blue is not able to leave the rancho at this time. There are not enough hands on the rancho and Blue had to stay behind to watch over things until everyone returns."

Tressie was disappointed. "When do you expect he will be able to come to Tucson?"

"Perhaps a few days. Perhaps a week or two. What is the occasion that you need to see him so quickly, Senorita?"

She wasn't about to tell him the truth. But, what could she tell him? She'd need to come up with something. "I'm an agent for a publisher and I've come here to meet with him about some drawings of his that we'd like to use."

The man laughed. "Chica, you are barely more than a child. You could not possibly be an agent. Now, tell me what you must see my friend so badly about."

Tressie didn't want to tell this man her reason for coming, so she changed her approach. "Can you take me to see him?"

The man smiled again. "Yes, I believe I could do that. I planned to return to High Chaparral in the morning. Would you like to accompany me at that time?"

Tressie had hoped to talk with Billy alone and away from the ranch, but she'd take what she could get. "Yes, I would."

"Adios until the morning, Senorita." Mano tipped his hat.

"I'll see you in the morning then."

She watched this interesting gentleman disappear down the hallway, then shut the door to her room. The situation wasn't ideal, but it was a start toward what she needed to find out. In the morning, she would take a trip to the ranch and be face-to-face with her father's secret.


	2. Chapter 2

A Life Full of Questions - Chapter 2

Tressie awoke the next morning feeling somewhat rested. The bed was one of the more comfortable ones she'd slept in since she left home, but it wasn't at all like her bed at home. Her home in Boston was spacious and comfortable. This room was relatively clean, which was nothing short of a miracle given the amount of dust outside. She wondered what the ranch would be like that she was riding to today. She'd heard that there was a woman there to keep house, but from what she'd read in the novels her father illustrated, those women were not the decent sort. The woman was probably just a maid and there was no telling what other services she provided the ranch workers. She hoped she didn't come to regret her decision to visit the ranch.

She got up and removed her toiletries from her satchel. It wouldn't last long in the heat, but at least she'd smell like lavender for a little while. She quickly washed, dressed and put her hair up into a loose bun that made her look older – at least, she hoped it made her look older. Today's dress was lighter than yesterday's, but still probably too heavy for the heat. The fabric tended to stick to her when she was sweating; so she decided to visit the Mercantile after breakfast to see if she could buy a new dress more suited to the climate in Arizona. With her mind made up, she put on her boots and went in search of breakfast. Having skipped dinner last night, she was famished.

The hotel had a restaurant that was open so Tressie walked in and sat down. Finding no menu, she motioned for the waitress. A young dark-haired girl Tressie judged to be about her older sister's age came to her table. "What can I get for ya' Miss?"

"I'd like to start with a menu, please."

The waitress smiled and Tressie noticed that she didn't seem to have an order pad. "We don't have menus Miss. We only offer a few things and most folks know what they are. For breakfast, we have eggs, sausage, gravy, and biscuits. We have apple turnovers too. Oh, and coffee. Ya' want all of that or just some of it?"

Tressie was hoping for something different, but decided that eggs should be the same all over. "I'll have two eggs, a biscuit, and a cup of coffee. The eggs should be cooked for three minutes."

The waitress still wrote nothing down. "Thank you Miss. It'll be right out." Then she disappeared through the double doors that Tressie assumed led to the kitchen. Taking her small notebook from her pouch, she made a few notes. Tressie was faithful about keeping notes in her journal. She wanted to be a writer someday, so she wrote down just about everything.

As she put her notebook back into her pouch, she checked on her money stash. She'd been saving money from her allowance and discovered she could make money writing small bits for a local paper. Her parents weren't aware she had a 'job'. She hated to lie, even by omission, but she expected that they wouldn't allow her to continue if they knew. She'd made up a penname so that her byline wouldn't get their attention. Her parents wanted their daughters to marry suitable men and settle down to be fine Boston ladies. While Tressie dreamed of finding someone she could love, she also wanted to be a writer.

The waitress appeared with breakfast and asked if she would be needing anything else. Before Tressie could dismiss the woman, the man who was to be her guide approached the table. He bowed slightly at the waist and said, "Good morning, Senorita. I hope that you slept well." He then turned to the waitress. "I will be joining Miss Daniels. Would you bring me some breakfast, please?" Tressie noticed that the woman's demeanor had changed. She was blushing and concentrated on the man's face. "Why certainly, Mano. I know just how you like it." She gave him a coquettish grin and started to walk toward the kitchen. Mr Montoya watched her walk away, and muttered, "Ah, yes. You certainly do."

"Ahem. Mr Montoya, would you like to sit down?" Mr Montoya turned toward Tressie In surprise, as if he'd forgotten she was there. Pulling the chair out, he responded, "Yes, I would. Thank you."

After he sat down, Tressie noticed what a nice smile the man had. He must have bathed and shaved this morning because he looked clean and fresh. She imagined what he must smell like, then stopped herself. She was a Boston lady whose family was regularly in the society pages. The very thought that she'd have anything to do with a cowboy was just ridiculous.

"Mr Montoya, how far away is the ranch?" Will we be back by this evening?"

The man laughed. "Ah, no, that will not be possible. It will take us all day just to get there. You must stay at least overnight. And, please, my name is Manolito. You may call me Mano, or Manolo, or Manolito. Mr Montoya is my father."

Tressie was appalled. "Stay? At the ranch? I couldn't possibly." Her father wouldn't approve of her traveling alone with a strange man. What would he say about her staying at the ranch?

"You needn't worry, Miss Daniels. My sister is there. I assure you, no harm will come to you." The look on Tressie's face must have been one of utter shock, because the man definitely looked amused.

The waitress chose that time to bring Mr Montoya's food. Again, Mr Montoya, Mano, and the waitress smiled their flirty smiles at each other. Setting his plate on the table ,she said, "Here you are Mano. Just the way you like it." To which, he responded, never looking at the plate, "Yes, it is. Gracias." He watched, longingly, as she walked away.

Tressie, again, had to call his attention away from the waitress's retreating back. "Ahem!" Once she had his attention, she went on. "As I was saying, I'm not certain it's a good idea for me to ride all that way with you alone. And, staying at a strange ranch…well, I'm just not certain that would be acceptable."

The man looked even more amused. "Well, you must suit yourself. I will be leaving after breakfast."

They ate in near silence. Tressie had the feeling that her breakfast companion was measuring her in some way. She thought more about whether she trusted this man enough to travel with him. He seemed polite, but continued to flirt with the waitress every time she came and refilled his coffee cup. Tressie's feelings still had not sorted themselves out at the end of breakfast. He was waiting for an answer and she wasn't sure what it should be. "Yes, I'll go with you." Before she could stop them the words had just spilled out of her. What had she done?

Mano grinned and Tressie wondered if he ever looked anything but amused. "Excellent. We will stop at the hotel and collect your luggage and then stop at the livery to rent a buggy. It is too far for a lady like you to ride a horse."

"Well, why shouldn't I ride a horse? I've been riding since I was very small."

"Yes, I suppose you have, but this is very far across a hot desert. The buggy is covered and will offer you some protection from the sun. We wouldn't want you to get sunburned."

Tressie hadn't thought of that. How would she explain it to her mother? Good Boston families don't have sunburned children. "No, I suppose I don't want to get sunburned." She remembered her need for a dress. "Mano, I need to stop at the dress shop and buy a dress more suitable for the climate. Can you direct me to it?"

He looked concerned now. "Miss Daniels, Tucson is still a small town. Too small to have a dress shop. However, they do sell dresses at the general store. I am sure they would have one that will suffice."

Tressie was disappointed. "Well, I suppose if they don't, I'll just have to make do with the dresses I brought with me. Fine then, would you be so kind as to point me in the direction of the general store?"

They paid their bill for breakfast and Mano escorted Tressie to the general store. Inside the store, she found a light blue gingham dress similar to ones she'd seen on ladies at other stops they made since arriving in Arizona. She bought the dress and a wide-brimmed hat that would help shade her face from the sun. The hat had a lacy scarf that could be used to help keep the hat in place in windy conditions. Mano assured her that the hat would be cooler than a bonnet. She decided the undergarments she already had would be all she would need for now. She watched Mano purchase three yards of a beautiful purple fabric and several yards of ribbon to match, then paid for her own items.

They took their packages to the hotel. Mano waited in the lobby while Tressie went to her room to put on the new dress and hat, and pack her belongings. She liked the way the dress brought out the blue in her eyes. As she entered the lobby, Mano stood and bowed, taking off his hat in a sweeping gesture. "You are a beautiful woman, Miss Daniels. All of the men in Tucson will be upset that I am taking you away." Then he took her hand and kissed it.

Tressie was a bit surprised but recovered quickly. "Why Mr Montoya, that's nice of you to say. Shall I check out so we can get going?"

Mano agreed so Tressie approached the front desk and announced, "Mr Tillery, I'm checking out."


End file.
